The association of obesity with erectile dysfunction

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Many studies have shown that obesity is associated with sexual dysfunction and causes erectile dysfunction particularly, but these studies are mainly about chronic diseases caused by obesity. Therefore, we conducted a study to evaluate the association of obesity in itself with erectile dysfunction. METHODS: The study sample consisted of men, aged over 20 who visited in a university hospital in Pusan from December 1999 to March 2000, who responded to the Korean version of the international index of erectile function(IIEF). The patients having obesity related diseases were excluded from the subject group. The subjects were classified into 'obese', 'normal' group according to body mass index(BMI) and erectile function was classified into 'erectile dysfunction', 'normal' according to IIEF 5 score. Chi square test and Fisher's exact test were performed for statistic analysis. RESULTS: The mean age was 42.1. In total 160 subjects, 109 men(68.1%) belonged to the normal group and 51(31.9%) to the obese group, and 100 men(62.5) had erectile dysfunction. In normal group, 43(39.4%) had normal erectile function and 66(60.6%) had erectile dysfunction. In obese group, 17(33.3%) were normal and 34(66.7%) had erectile dysfunction. No significant difference between two groups was noted in erectile function (P> 0.05). CONCLUSION: There was no significant association of obesity in itself with erectile dysfunction in this study after excluding effects of other obesity related problems.